The National Blood Bank has recorded a 20% decline in donations this year due to COVID-19.
This is because its blood collection has reduced drastically in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic.
Restrictions on public gathering have compounded the issue which experts say this could have a dire effect on health service delivery.
Speaking at a virtual event in Accra to commemorate Blood Donor Day on June 14, 2020, CEO of the National Blood Service Dr Justina Ansah revealed that only 53,000 donations were received this year compared to 73,000 same time last year.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has largely affected blood donations, there is a shortage of blood at health facilities as a result of the ban on public gathering, hopefully, things will pick up and we will get more to help save the lives of people”.
President Akufo-Addo in his last address on COVID-19 to Ghanaians eased some of the restrictions.
Some of them are that a number of just hundred people can gather but will have to observe strict social distancing protocols.
Every year on 14 June, countries around the world celebrate World Blood Donor Day.. (WBDD). The event, established in 2004, serves to raise awareness of the need for safe blood and blood products, and to thank blood donors for their voluntary, life-saving gifts of blood.
World Blood Donor Day is one of eight official global public health campaigns marked by the World Health Organization (WHO), along with World Health Day, World Tuberculosis Day, World Immunization Week, World Malaria Day, World No Tobacco Day, World Hepatitis Day, and World AIDS Day
